What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Thatcher Robinson
For me, the greatest difficulty was, and still is, knowing when my manuscript is good enough to present to an agent or publisher. All writers, I think, are a bit delusional. Finding a metric for what is worthy of being read and what is simply crap is very subjective. Too a large extent, agents and publishers have the same problem.Having said that...I think I'd advise an aspiring writer to find a wide range of readers who are willing to be blunt and honest, then take the criticism given as a constructive lesson. Even the most successful writers continue to learn and progress throughout their careers. Your manuscript is not a holy grail. Be willing to toss out entire chapters, change perspectives, or whatever it takes to make a better book. Nothing is sacred.